Faculty | Facility

Megan has been studying dance for over twenty years. Ten of those years she has taught in the middle Tennessee area where she has held the titles of Director and Assistant Director at the Spring Hill Arts Center's School of Dance. Megan has traveled across the globe teaching dance, Pilates, and doing wardrobe for multiple touring acts, including Lord of the Dance. Her choreography can be seen performed in music videos, local theater productions, and high school dance teams. Megan's patient demeanor and movement driven classes have allowed her the opportunity to work with many special needs children. She believes all children can benefit from movement and creativity.

Megan has been a Certified Pilates instructor through Power Pilates for seven years. She has also taken extensive courses in anatomy, kinesiology, nutrition, and dance education. Megan is currently furthering her education in Health and Kinesiology. She actively takes dance classes in Middle Tennessee and New York City.Megan is a member of the National Dance Educators Organization and the Tennessee Association of Dance.

Megan is married with a beautiful daughter and another on the way.

Chelsea Kirkham Howell is pleased to be able to share her experiences and passion for the love the Classical Arts with the dedicated students at Tennessee Dance Arts Conservatory. Mrs. Howell was awarded in 2008 Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award. She has instructed for 17 years in studios throughout Idaho, Alabama and Tennessee. She has danced principal roles in companies such as DanzArts, Ballet Idaho and Performing Dance Arts and has trained with Ballet West, Idaho Dance Arts Alliance, and Summer Dance Lab (an affiliate of the Joffrey Ballet).

Mrs. Howell has choreographed for DanzArts, Performing Dance Arts, Maury County Arts Guild (Once upon a Mattress), Spring Hill Arts Center (Land of Sweets, Nunsense and Nutcracker) as well as won "best choreography" for Huntsville Community Chorus (Fiddler on the Roof).

She is the wife of James Howell and is the mother of two heaven-sent children.

Lindsey doesn’t remember a time that she did not dance. When she was 4 years old, her parents decided to put her in dance classes to make new friends, but dance became so
much more than a social time for Lindsey, developing into a passion. Her formal ballet training began at the age of 7 and the passion quickly became a large part of her life. She
has studied under ballet teachers such as Jennifer McNamara, Kathleen Callaghan, Barry Gager, Mary Cadle, and Thomas Shoemaker, as well as several master teachers in
workshops and intensives along the way. When she was fifteen, her formal modern dance training began, coupled with ballet, which was a time she began exploring different
aspects of dance. Lindsey has also worked with professional modern dance company StillPoint Dance Theatre, and also studied in the Certificate in Dance
Studies Program at Vanderbilt University, where she received her certification in 2008.  Not only is Lindsey a dancer and teacher, but over the course of time she developed a
love for choreography and began choreographing her own solos and group pieces that have been performed for various concerts and events. Lindsey has been teaching for
several years and is passionate about sharing her love of dance with others.

Ashley was born and raised in Statesville, North Carolina where she began taking dance classes at Sharon’s Dance School at the age of 5. She was exposed to dance for years from her mother who was the Dance Director at their church. Ashley pushed herself to learn different styles of dance like Hip Hop, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, African and Tap. She helped her mother teach dance workshops during the summer for 5 years. In 1992 she moved to Nashville, TN where she attended Christ Presbyterian Academy. After she recognized the need for dance in the school she founded the high school Dance Troupe in 1998. She perfected her skill by training at the Universal Dance Association camp. She was also the President for Spirit Warriors Dance team while she worshipped at Born Again Church for 4 years.  During her attendance at Tennessee State University she enhanced her gift of dance through various dance classes. There she learned technique, structure and artistic character. She motivated the dancers of Restoration Dance Team as she held the office of Director for three years. They were able to travel to different colleges to minister the word of the Lord through dance.  Ashley was blessed with the opportunity to be a dancer for Nicole C. Mullen. She was amazed to see the lives of people changed on that tour as they traveled all across the country. She had the opportunity to use her gift internationally in places such as: the island of St. Martin; London, England; and Uganda, Africa. Over the years Ashley has had the privilege to dance for many different artists like: CeCe Winans, Michael W. Smith, Paul T. Fleming, Nicole C. Mullen, Fred Hammond, Darwin Hobbs and Mandisa.  She is currently the Assistant Director for three dance teams at Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, TN. Her goal is to inspire dancers to learn the various art forms of dance while equipping them to become dedicated dancers. Her heart is for every dancer to express their personal passion through the creativity of every movement.

As a little girl, Brooke fell in love with dancing. Having studied all forms of dance, Tap quickly became her first love. She continued her dance education at Western Kentucky University.  As a Performing Arts Major, Brooke was chosen as the only freshman to perform her tap choreography for the Department Heads of Theatre and Dance. There, Brooke enjoyed learning styles of Musical Theatre Dance such as the choreography of Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. She also learned to focus on the technique of rhythm tap and hoofing.
After college, Brooke continued her dance education at the University of South Carolina and at the Georgia Ballet. She then pursued her career by performing various musical revues as a part of the Entertainment Cast of Stone Mountain Park, a theme park outside of Atlanta, Georgia.  She also choreographed musicals at local theaters and taught at several Metro Atlanta area dance studios. Brooke had the wonderful opportunity to study under Tap giants such as Acia Gray, Brenda Buffalino and Jay Fagan at Atlanta’s annual Southeastern Tap Explosion.
Brooke is thankful to have the opportunity to be back home in Tennessee teaching dance as an art form. Most importantly, Brooke hopes her love for all dance forms will inspire all students no matter what age.
She is also very blessed to be the adoring wife of Dennis and the mother of two amazing little men, Beau and Cade.

Lori is honored to be able to teach at TNDAC.  She is excited to be reconnected to her creative side.  Lori was blessed to be raised in a musical family and has been involved in several musical activities.  She can play the piano, saxophone and is currently practicing the accordion.  Her strongest forte is vocal performance.  She received a vocal scholarship to Bethel College where she studied classical vocal performance and piano. As a freshman, she was the only freshman female selected for honors recital. Lori enjoys theater and has been in supporting and lead roles in a variety of musicals including 1940s radio hour, Paint your Wagon and Once upon a Mattress.  She has traveled in a variety of singing choirs/small groups. Lori enjoys all forms of music but does have a passion for jazz vocals. 

Lori also enjoys all forms of movement. Her natural sense of rhythm allowed her exposure to chorography in musicals and a position in a dance squad.  Lori had a somewhat untraditional start into dance in that she didn’t start taking classes until a teen.  She has studied at Saint Mary’s college, Central Michigan University and the Midland Community Center.  Lori has taken ballet, jazz, hip hop, swing, modern, Latin dance and Irish tap.  She has taught creative movement as well as beginning hip hop.  Lori has a belief that the arts are to be open to all abilities and creativity is a gift to be shared. 

Lori is a Registered Dietitian and has been practicing for eight years in nutritional science.  She is married and the proud mommy to two sweet little girls.

Jennifer has a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Directing and Children’s Theatre. She has directed plays at the Spring Hill Arts Center for the past 5 years, with her most recent show being Anne of Green Gables . She is currently serving as the Performing Arts Director at the Spring Hill Arts Center and director of Old School Theater. Jennifer has Performed in such plays as Henry V, The Christmas Carol, Blithe Spirit, The Lark, and many others. She has taught Drama classes on and off for the past 10 years. She is excited to bring a homeschool drama program to Spring Hill. http://www.oldschooltheatre.org/

Coming Soon..

Missy began her formal dance training at age three, with the Chattanooga Ballet. As she continued her studies there through high school, she became a member of the Chattanooga Ballet Children’s Company, and then the Corps de Ballet. These positions gave her opportunities to perform soloist, demi-soloist, and corps roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Firebird, Les Sylphides, Don Quixote, The Magic Flute, Contemporary Music Symposium, Haydn’s Creation, and many modern and jazz works by guest choreographers.
Also during high school, Missy founded and directed Charis, a modern dance company housed at Chattanooga Christian School. Her contributions there included teaching modern and jazz classes, choreographing works for the company, and performing.  In college, Missy continued her modern dance training with an emphasis in Limon technique under the direction of Sharona Paller Rubinstein. During this time Missy was invited to become a member of the Macon Moving Company, in Macon, Georgia, performing many original modern works throughout the community. Missy recently had the privilege of choreographing for the DeRay Ministry’s Jr. Dance Company in Franklin TN.
Missy has also enhanced her training in ballet, modern, and jazz through a variety of summer workshops, master classes, and dance conferences, at places such as Ballet Magnificat, Harvard University, and the American Dance Festival, Tennessee Association of Dance, and an intensive summer conference in Washington D.C. During these experiences Missy was able to study with such artists as David Dorfman, Rennie Harris, Garth Fagan, Jeffery Bullock, Donna Faye Burchfield, Gerri Houlihan, and Kathy Thibodeaux. 
Missy is a registered nurse, and when she is not dancing, she can be found teaching Zumba classes and sharing her love of movement with her three young daughters.